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Injuries -- BC is no substitute for a doctor

"My (insert muscle or joint) is really painful when I (insert activity, usually badminton).

(Insert some vague circumstancial details)

Anybody with advice or similar experiences please help.
Thank you

For all these people who post injury threads, I have the answer for you:
See a doctor

BC exists to promote badminton and badminton-related discussion. It is NOT a medical site, and BC members cannot be responsible for diagnosis or treatment of injuries.

Although this community does have some medically qualified members (notably Cheung), it is not appropriate to rely on their advice. You should consult a doctor who can examine you and discuss your injury face-to-face.

The consistent presence of these injury threads is concerning. It seems there are many people out there who are simply not treating their injuries seriously.

I believe that these people are avoiding dealing with the problem. Chatting online in a forum is easy, harmless, and non-commital. You can always ignore the advice.

But if you visit your doctor, he might tell you to stop playing badminton for six weeks. You don't want to hear that, so you try BC instead (let's face it -- are badminton enthusiasts likely to tell you the same thing?).

Don't bury your head in the sand; deal with the problem. Consult a professional. BC has many virtues, but it is no substitute for a doctor.

One additional point. Unless you are a MD who specialized in sport med, don't give out any advice on injury. It is very irresponsible because in case of anyone's injury gets worse, he/she will need to ask Kwun for your info and sue your ass off. And that will put our dear Kwun in a very bad situation and we don't want that!

One additional point. Unless you are a MD who specialized in sport med, don't give out any advice on injury. It is very irresponsible because in case of anyone's injury gets worse, he/she will need to ask Kwun for your info and sue your ass off. And that will put our dear Kwun in a very bad situation and we don't want that!

Thanks for Gollum's post.

I believe that's unlikely to happen. There would be no grounds for a case.

Did you know, for example, that anyone can treat diseases and injuries legally? I could set myself up as a "healer", and legally "treat" anybody gullible enough to come to me.

The only thing I am NOT allowed to treat is venereal disease. That's because of an obscure old law that has not been repealed.

I cannot legally represent myself as a doctor, however, because that is a protected title. But with patient consent, I can still practise "medicine" as much as I like -- with the one exception noted above.

This is UK law, of course. Your mileage may vary.

But still, the most responsible thing is for us to suggest professional consultation.

That is abit extreme. I highly doubt it would work since nobody on the forum claims to be a doctor. Expression of personal experience is not an intent to misrepresent. It's the individual's own responsibility to decide whose advice to take. You could sue a doctor for malpractice if he happened to give you bad advice which lead to deteriorating conditions because he is supposed to be an authority in his field.

Originally Posted by silentheart

One additional point. Unless you are a MD who specialized in sport med, don't give out any advice on injury. It is very irresponsible because in case of anyone's injury gets worse, he/she will need to ask Kwun for your info and sue your ass off. And that will put our dear Kwun in a very bad situation and we don't want that!

That is abit extreme. I highly doubt it would work since nobody on the forum claims to be a doctor. Expression of personal experience is not an intent to misrepresent. It's the individual's own responsibility to decide whose advice to take. You could sue a doctor for malpractice if he happened to give you bad advice which lead to deteriorating conditions because he is supposed to be an authority in his field.

I agree my last post is on the extreme side. However, I would like to raise the awareness that unless you are and identified yourself as a MD or sports injury specialist, everything sould be taken as a a grain of salt.

In general I agree that the doctor should be consulted whenever possible, especially for serious injuries.

However, some sports injuries are not as serious such as a sprain and those with similar experience can offer some help to relieve the pain and discomfort. Some injuries need immediate attention to prevent further deterioration such as stopping the blood from oozing from the wound or treating a snake bite.

Often it may take some time to reach the doctor, therefore it will help if those who have the experience or have been trained in First Aid can render assistance. Indeed, when First Aid is applied correctly to the injured, it can even make the doctor's job easier subsequently. First Aid can even help save lives as in the case of a victim in need of CPR immediately, lest any further delay will mean the end when the victim's heart stops functioning.

In the case of a fracture, the First Aider can apply bandages to secure the affected parts and to reduce their movement.

However the First Aider's job is not to try to cure the victim. This is best left to the qualified doctor. The First Aider is there to alleviate the victim's injuries and to prepare him or her as best as possible for the doctor.

Good point about first-aid. But first-aid cannot effectively be rendered over the internet

I believe that very few of the injuries reported on BC require first-aid. The injuries are typically "stable", but respond badly to badminton or other exercises. First-aid is no use at this stage; they need a doctor.

I believe that first-aid training should be part of the national curriculum for teenagers, and that thenceforth it should be mandatory for adults to attend a first-aid refresher course every three years or so.

BTW, in the case of a fracture the first-aider could immobilise the limb or digit. If the fracture is open then it will be necessary to control bleeding first, and immobilisation may be more difficult. Ideally you would use traction to return the bone-ends back inside the flesh, before splinting and bandaging.

Unfortunately for sports injuries most doctors are no substitute for a specialist in the area, and many physios have no idea about the demands of badminton.

Example: got to your doctor with any kind of muscle injury: you will be advised to rest it, possibly apply ice. If its something like back injury you may be prescribed painkillers. Go back to the doctor a month later you may get refered to a physio, unless you go private you will see the physio weeks later and get told to ice, stretch and probably some ultrasound treatment.

In short you will of been out for a couple of months and noone will have looked at the cause of the injury, so often you have recovered but may reinjure immediately.

I recently saw a physio for an ankle injury and was advised to wear running shoes to give more cushioning when playing!

In short seek medical advice but be proactive and don't assume the expert knows anything specific about your sport